Where permits come from
- Inside the Adams city limits
- Adams City Hall, 7617 Hwy 41 N, 615-696-2593. The city's permit guide lists what to bring.
- Outside the city limits
- Robertson County Planning and Zoning, 615-384-3666.
- Near a flood zone
- The city's guide says a flood elevation certificate may be required where it applies. Ask before work that changes the foundation or the grade.
- Electrical work
- An electrical permit comes from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, not from the city.
Older houses need a slower inspection
If your house is an older one on stone or brick with a shallow, dirt-floored space beneath, some of the usual methods need adapting. Stone walls are uneven, so fastening and sealing a liner to them takes more care. Clearance may be too tight for a standard dehumidifier. Old timbers that rest close to the soil need a moisture reading before anything is wrapped or covered.
Ask the company whether it has worked on a house like yours and what it would do differently from a newer block foundation. A thoughtful answer is a good sign.
A license rule that applies here and not in Clarksville
Tennessee's home improvement license covers smaller residential remodeling jobs, below the size that needs a full contractor's license. It applies only in the counties that adopted the law. Robertson County is one of the nine. Montgomery County is not.
So a company that does modest jobs in Clarksville without that license may need it to do the same job at your house. Ask which Tennessee license the company holds and check it at verify.tn.gov before you sign. The city's own permit guide adds that a contractor must hold a state contractor's license and provide a copy to be named on a building permit.
Septic and wells
Many properties here have their own septic system or well. Show the company where they are before any trench is planned. The state office that keeps septic records answers at (615) 687-7000.